Mattress with service plug and provision for long sheet

ABSTRACT

THE DISCLOSURE IS TO MATTRESS COMPRISED OF A BASE OF FLEXIBILITY OF SUBSTANTIAL RIGIDITY AND A CUSHION OF SOFT, YIELDABLE, MATERIAL, AS FOAM RUBBER WITH THE BASE HAVING UPWARDLY GROOVED RIBS THEREACROSS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE SPACING OF THE JOINTS OR PIVOT LINES OF HOSPITAL BED FRAMES. AN OFFSET IS PROVIDED INTO THE MATTRESS FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF AT RELATIVE DISTANCE FROM FOOT AND HEAD AT WHICH A CONVENTIONAL BED PAN WOULD BE USED, AND A PLUG IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH CUSHION AND BASE MATERIALS IS NORMALLY IN PLACE IN THE OFFSET. A GROOVE EXTENDS THROUGH THE PLUG IN DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF THE MATTRESS WHEN THE PLUG IS IN PLACE AND A TRANSVERSE GROOVE ACROSS THE CUSHION DISTANCE FORM OFFSET OT OTHER SIDE IS IN CO-EXTENSION OF THE PLUG GROOVE. THUS A COVER SHEET, MAY HAVE THAT LENGTH THEREOF. IN EXCESS OF CONVENTIONAL LENGTH, FOLDED INTO THE   TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED CUSHION AND PLUG GROOVE WHEN THE PLUG IS IN PLACE. THEN, WITH PLUG REMOVED, THE FOLD PART OF THE SHEET FROM THE PLUG GROOVE MAY BE SPREAD OUT TO PROTECTIVELY COVER THE OFFSET PRIOR TO THE INSERTION OF A SERVICE ITEM, AS A BED PAN, INTO THE OFFSET. THE INVENTION MAY INCLUDE OTHER ITEMS THAT A SPECIAL BED PAN, AS, FOR INSTANCE, AN INSPECTION MIRROR.

NOV. 30, 1971 J, STALEY ETAL 3,623,170

MATTRESS WITH SERVICE PLUG AND PROVISION FOR LONG SHEET Filed Jan. 5,1970 /Vl;'l (m5 JOHN H 57211.5 Y 13y WESLEY D BALLAED ATTORNE Y US. Cl.-90 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is to a mattresscomprised of a base of flexibility but of substantial rigidity and acushion of soft, yieldable, material, as foam rubber with the basehaving upwardly grooved ribs thereacross longitudinally spaced apart incorrespondence with the spacing of the joints or pivot lines of hospitalbed frames. An offset is provided into the mattress from one sidethereof at relative distance from foot and head at which a conventionalbed pan would be used, and a plug in correspondence with cushion andbase materials is normally in place in the offset. A groove extendsthrough the plug in direction transversely of the mattress when the plugis in place and a transverse groove across the cushion distance fromoffset to other side is in co-extension of the plug groove. Thus a coversheet, may have that length thereof, in excess of conventional length,folded into the transversely aligned cushion and plug groove when theplug is in place. Then, with plug removed, the fold part of the sheetfrom the plug groove may be spread out to protectively cover the offsetprior to the insertion of a service item, as a bed pan, into the offset.The invention may include other items than a special bed pan, as, forinstance, an inspection mirror.

Broadly the invention relates to a hospital bed mattress adapted toprovide a space of access below a patient so that the patient may nothave to be moved, as lifted, as for the insertion of a special bed pan,or other service item into service position.

Consequently, it is a primary object of the invention to provide amattress for hospital beds that provides a sidewardly removable plugtherein removable to admit insertion of service items without requiringthat the patient be lifted; the invention also including the removableplug and other service items insertable when the plug is removed.

It is also another and important object of the invention to provide amattress of this class which is designed to flex or bend in accordancewith adjustment of the hospital bed frame supporting the mattress, atthe same time the mattress maintaining a properly soft, yieldablecushion, with sheet thereon upon which the patient may rest.

Also it is an important object of the invention to provide a mattress ofthis class which provides an extra length sheet, thus to provideprotective coverage for the sheet to cover the offset area under aservice item, as a bed pan that is inserted when the plug has beenremoved.

Additionally the invention provides special service items, as a specialbed pan, as including a mounted urinal, or an inspection mirror, forservice in the offset space provided below the patient when the plug hasbeen removed.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification hereinis considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric development view of a mat- United States Patent 03,623,170 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 Ice tress which comprises an embodimentof the invention, the plug being shown removed to show details of baseoffset construction; a

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken along line 22 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, taken along line 33 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a bed pan employable as a service itemfor insertion into the offset with the plug removed therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal elevational view, looking into theoffset with the bed pan shown in FIG. 4 in place therein with a urinalshown clipped to the rear guide rail of the bed pan lid;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view, showing an inspection mirrorinsertable into the offset after a bed pan may have been removedtherefrom; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view demonstrative of the extra length sheet employablewith the mattress shown in FIG. 1, thus to protectively cover over theoffset when the plug has been removed therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals areassigned to like elements in the various views, a mattress 10 is shownin FIG. 1 as comprised of a cushion 11 seated in a box type base 12. Thecushion should be of a soft, springy, yieldable, material, as foamrubber or a light plastic, while the base may be of a plastic materialthat is of some rigidity while also being capable of flexibility orspring action. The base is offset inwardly from one side, the offsetwall 12a being shown on the right side of FIG. 1, the relativelongitudinal location of the offset from the foot, or head, of themattress being determined by the average relative longitudinal locationof usage of a conventional bed pan with relation to the length of aconventional bed. The cushion 11 is correspondingly offset around theoffset wall 12a of the base and thereabove, as indicated by offset wall11a of cushion 11 in FIG. 1.

The base 12, FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6, comprises a floor 12b, side walls 12c,12d, end wall 12e, 12 with the aforesaid offset wall 12a upstanding fromthe floor 12b to the same height as the side wall 12c from which itextends inwardly. The inner portion of the offset wall 12a is shownarcuate or rounded, as is the cushion thereabove at 11a, this being forease of plug fit of a plug 13, FIG. 1, to be further describedhereinbelow. At the relative locations above the pivot joints at whichthe bed frame supporting a conventional hospital bed mattress may pivot,the base 12 has cross-ribs 12g, 12h, thereacross providing upwardlyextending grooves 14a, 14b, therein, whereby to provide leaf spring typehinges or lines of pivotal action, whereby the base 12, and the flexiblecushion 11 therein, may pivot in correspondence with bed adjustment.

The cushion 11, on the side opposite the offset 11a, may be grooved at15a to a depth substantially at the top of the base offset wall 12a, anda plug 13, normally fitted into the offset 12a, cushion offset 11a, mayhave a corresponding groove 15b therein downwardly through the plugcushion 13a, to a depth substantially at the top of a plug box type base13b. The plug cushion 13a and plug base 13b may be constructed of thesame respective materials, with the plug base 13b to upstand to the sameheight as the mattress base offset walls 12a. A handle is shown providedin the plug outer wall 13d, which, when the plug 13 has been fullyinserted into the mattress 10, extends parallel with, and in completionof the mattress base side wall 12.

A protective sheet, or under spread 16 is provided, FIG. 7, to somepredetermined length greater than a conventional hospital under sheet,such extra length being provided to be folded into the left side cushiongroove a and into the plug cushion groove 15b, when the plug 13 is inplace, as normally, when the patient does not require service. Thus,when the patient does require service, the extra length of sheet 16,that has been folded into the plug cushion groove 15b, may be unfoldedand spread to cover protectively the base floor offset portion and thebase walls 12a and the mattress cushion walls 11a thereabove. Then, whenthe pan 17 is inserted into the offset space, it fits upon and withinthe extra length portion provided by the sheet 16, and thus protects thebase 12 and cushion 11 from being soiled by service of the patient.

The sheet 16, FIG. 7, is indicated as providing the conventional cowlportion or hood 16a to provide a pocket into which the upper end portionof the cushion 11 may be fitted. Also, it is noticeable that the specialsheet 16 has no such hood or cowl on its lower portion, and in thisdesign follows a conventional hospital bed under sheet as to thisfeature.

When the plug 13 is removed, and the sheet 16 spread down over theoffset, a bed pan 17 may be slid into the space thus provided. The bedpan is of box type and may be of enamel ware, plastic, painted metal, orof any other suitable material. Slide rails or guideways 16a and 16b areformed along the upper edges of the respective forward and rear walls16c, 16d of the plug 13. Thus, with the bed pan 17 in place, a lid 18having corresponding slide bars 18a, 18b atop, or formed off the opposedforward and rear edges thereof, is provided to he slid inwardly upon thebed pan 17 a predetermined distance short of the inner wall thereof,thus to leave adequate opening space for patient service. For thispurpose, a handle 180 is provided on the outer portion of the slide.

As best indicated in FIG. 5, a conventional flexible urinal tube orurinal 19 is shown mounted, as by a clamp 19a, to the lower guideway 16a(the one toward the foot of the mattress) of the bed pan 17. In thisview the lid 18 is not shown, and would be left off, thus to make roomfor the wire clamp 19, of contour correspondingly as shown in FIG. 5, tobe clamped to the bed pan slide rail 16a.

For purposes of inspection, with the bed pan 17 removed after usage, orindependently of any preceding service within the offset, an inspectionmirror mount 20 may be inserted, as shown in FIG. 6. Such mirror mountincludes a base plate 20a of length some amount greater than the offset12a, and with a handling hole 20b provided in the outer end thereof. Abattery actuated electric light 21 is indicated as installed to shinefrom the upper, outer portion of the battery stand 22, and above areflection mirror 23 mounted just outwardly of the battery stand 22 andat an angle properly to reflect what may be envisioned therein as lightimages. A switch 24 on top of the battery stand 22 indicates that thelight 21 may be battery actuated by a battery, not shown but provided inthe battery stand.

The surface of the cushion 11 may be sprayed or substantiallywater-proofed with a suitable material that will prevent undesirablesoilable matter from penetrating into the cushion material and thusenable the surface of the cushion to be washed easily to remove anyundesirable material, liquid or solid, that may be deposited anywherethereupon. Reference numerals 25a and 25b represent this coated featureas applied to the top surface and side surface of the cushion 11.

The invention relates broadly to a sidewardly plugged mattress that maybend to follow conventional hospital bed spring adjustment, thusproviding service space by plug removal without any necessity forlifting the patient. The disclosure includes service items, andexemplary claims complete the application.

What is claimed is:

1. A mattress for use with a plug and comprising the combination of abase of a partially flexible, substantially rigid material including afloor with side and end members upstanding therefrom, said baseproviding longitudinally spaced apart, upstanding, transverse membersthereacross with said transverse members being of crosssection toprovide transverse groove means extending upwardly thereinto wherebysaid base may flex transversely in correspondence with the transversepivoting of conventional hospital bed frame sections, a mattress cushionto fit within said base and transversely grooved to fit over saidtransverse members, said base being offset inwardly from one sidethereof to receive a plug therein to fit over the lower level of saidfloor and with wall means upstanding from said floor to side memberlevel around said plug, said cushion providing a transverse groovetherein down to side member top and extending from the side of thecushion opposite said offset to said offset, whereby a cover sheet oflength to provide fold into said cushion groove may be employed, andwith the plug removed, the fold part of the sheet transversely oppositethe cushion groove may be spread to cover the floor and sides of saidoffset whereby to receive an inserted service means as a bed panthereupon.

2. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 in which a plug is additionallyincluded to fit into said offset, said plug having a groove upwardlytherethrough in aligned extension of said transverse groove in saidcushion to receive cover sheet fold thereinto when said plug is in placeof an inserted service means.

3. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 which additionally includes a coversheet in excess of conventional length to provide fold on one side intosaid cushion groove and oppositely into said offset and over the floorthereof.

4. A mattress including a plug as claimed in claim 2, said plugincluding a plug base with walls determined by said offset and outwardlyby said one side, and of the height thereof, and with plug base filledwith plug cushion to the height of said cushion in said mattress base,said plug groove aforesaid being provided in said plug cushion.

5. A mattress including a plug as claimed in claim 4 which additionallyincludes a handle extending outwardly from the outer wall of said plugbase.

6. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 which additionally includes as saidservice means a bed pan in box form defined by said offset and providingoppositely, spaced apart slide rails atop the transversely extendingwalls thereof, a lid with slide bars to slide in said slide rails, saidlid extending transversely outwardly of the outer wall of said bed panand providing a pull handle on the outer portion thereof.

7. A mattress as claimed in claim 6 which additionally has a urinalattachable in clasping contact with a guide rail.

8. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 which said cushion is comprised ofrubber foam.

9. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 in which said base is comprised of alight plastic.

10. A mattress as claimed in claim 1 with which a lighted mirror isincluded for insertion into said offset after a bed pan may have beenremoved therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,932,831 4/1960 Keathley, Sr.,et al. 590 X 3,023,429 3/1962 Borotra 5-90 3,188,660 6/1965 Guttman 5-9l3,419,920 7/1969 Maddux, Jr., et al. 59l 3,459,178 8/1969 Fleming 12822CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 591; 12822

